Push and Pull
by Diabetic.T1
Summary: Set after 3x08 (this will not follow the story plot). Their relationship has taken a drastic change. They push each other to the limits while pulling each other in for comfort and release. Together, along with their friends, they will have to fight Klaus and survive Mystic Falls.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my very first story and it will take place right after season 3 episode 8. This story will consist of mainly Damon and Elena and how they deal with their new relationship. This will not follow Season 3 exactly because in my personal experience, if I could write the show to my preferences then Damon and Elena would have been together a lot sooner. Please review and let me know what you think.**

* * *

Something had changed between them. Neither Damon nor Elena knew what exactly that 'something' was, but it was definitely different. It had started the moment Elena didn't kick him out of her bed after the long day they both had. It had continued through the night when Damon couldn't sleep and Elena made a subtle move to snuggle closer to his chest. It ended with Elena slowly opening her eyes with her head cradled against his covered chest and her leg wrapped around his leg.

And then it still continued as Elena's eyes shuttered closed and then opened again, her grogginess fading as her hand that lay on his chest also trailed down his torso until she hit his belt buckle.

She didn't flail around, kick and scream, or clutch her blankets to her very appeasing cleavage. Instead, the 'something' that changed between them became very obvious: slowly, but surely, Elena was letting him into her heart, mind, and soul.

There was no doubt in her mind as she let her body mold to his. He might not have known it, but Elena knew what position she would awake too. She had woken up halfway through the night to the feeling of Damon running his fingers through her hair softly, and that is when she instantly shut her eyes before he could see her, and she snuggled closely against him.

His body felt good against her own. In the sleepy haziness she didn't have to worry about what others might think or say. She didn't have to hear Caroline's prissy voice, scolding her about her epic love for Stefan. She didn't have to hear Bonnie's hatred towards Damon and all that he stands for. Most importantly, she didn't have to think about Stefan and all that they had been through. Instead, she let herself get lost in the feeling of Damon and the security he all of a sudden brought upon her life.

She knew that Damon had a shoulder to lean on. She could never go crying to him, though, because he wouldn't allow her to feel such pity and depression towards herself. Damon was her rock. He had the plans that didn't actually backfire. The blue eyed vampire created a safety net for her to fall back on and that's all Elena wanted. She was tired of planning, tired of running, and too tired to feel scared every second of her life.

She was slowly coming to understand that she was not going to save Stefan. Instead, that day proved that Damon would save him. After all, blood is thicker than water…or in Elena's case; blood is thicker than past girlfriends.

However, now Elena couldn't avoid Damon's stare. She knew that he knew she was awake. There was no denying anything when it came to Damon. Truth and honesty were the only way to go concerning the one hundred and fifty year old vampire.

He could feel her heart beating; faster than it normally should beat. Damon didn't know if it was because of the fact that she was caught wrapped around him or if it's because he was within close proximity of her. It wasn't like all the other times he got her heart to beat inconsistently and too fast for her own good. This beating had a rhythm but he couldn't decipher it. And so he opened his mouth instead.

"So we got Mikael," Damon nearly whispered. His voice was laced with quietness and a husk that meant he hadn't talked in a while. He allowed Elena to sleep for as long as she wanted; knowing she probably had a long day with Barbie Original.

Elena didn't move and answered in her own hushed voice. "And we have Rebekah. Now we just need a plan."

"Already covered," Damon reassured her. His plan worked with Stefan, although now his brother was an even bigger dick than before, but at least Stefan was on their side; fighting for his freedom.

Elena raised her head to look Damon in the eye. His plans had backfired in the past, but recently his plans have followed through, and so Elena held her tongue. Nothing she said that morning was going to ruin their peaceful moment. Damon raised his eye brow, expecting her to retaliate, but nothing came out of her mouth. Instead, he watched quizzically as a smile softened on her face.

"Okay," she said.

"Okay?"

Elena smirked. "Yes, Damon. Okay. I trust you. If you have a plan then we'll go through with it."

"That was easier than I thought," Damon murmured. He hadn't noticed before but his fingers were still playing with the ends of Elena's hair. He looked down at his hand, Elena continuing to look at him and he sighed. "Sorry." He took his hand away.

"Don't be," Elena moved a little closer to Damon, her leg still wrapped around half his body. This should have been wrong. She should have been thinking about Stefan and ways to help him, but he made it clear that she wasn't going to be the one to bring him back. She wasn't worth fighting for in his life anymore, but Damon was, and Elena was going to do everything she possibly could to help Damon bring his brother back. "It feels good."

Damon sighed again as his fingers moved by themselves back to her hair, playing softly with the strands.

"So are you going to tell me how we got Mikael on our side?" Elena had a teasing tone, but she really was curious. And as her fingers moved from their resting place at the top of his chest down his torso in a soothing motion, that was the first time she noticed the gaping hole in his shirt. "Damon!" She exclaimed.

Damon winced, shrugging off her high pitch screech. "It's no big deal. We just had a run in with Mikael."

She couldn't have moved fast enough as she sat up, yanked his shirt up so it bunched around his neck, and inspected his chest; right where his heart should be beneath the muscles and skin. Elena's fingers moved deftly across the plane of his chest, checking for damage she knew wasn't there anymore.

"It looks like someone stuck a fist through your chest; too close to your heart." Elena's fingers didn't stop moving and tickling his skin.

Damon huffed, "Well that's good considering that's exactly what Mikael tried to do."

"What? You said he was on our side?"

"He is, but in order to get him on our side, Stefan had to offer up some information that he was so conveniently compelled not to say. In the meantime, Mikael kept his fist through my chest until my dear _little_ brother decided to speak up." Bitterness laced Damon's tone as the memory of pain and slight panic came to the forefront of his mind.

Damon pretended the feeling of Elena's hands on his body didn't affect him, but he was doing an awful job considering his jeans were feeling a little too tight and his member was hardening at an all too increasing rate like a horny teenager. If he looked down at Elena he knew he could practically see down her tight little tank top and just the thought of feeling, much less seeing, her body had him turned on like the first time he was ever with a woman.

Elena felt Damon's body tense and her fingers ceased their movement. She looked up at him curiously, but he was avoiding eye contact. She had a feeling that his uncomfortable state was due to the fact that she dated his younger brother, and that fact alone should have her running for the hills, but instead she stood her ground.

"You know," she drew out in a mere whisper, "I meant what I said last night. Stefan's not coming back because he loves me. It's because he loves you."

Damon rolled his eyes, playing off her words. Deep down, he had a suspicion that Elena was right. Could that mean she was finally letting go? Damon didn't think so. Elena was stubborn, stupid in most dangerous situations and a sucker for his brother. There was no way she was letting go. But her words and promise surprised him.

"I'm not saving Stefan from himself because I am in love with him. I'm helping you save Stefan so you can have your brother back." Elena rolled off of Damon and situated herself on her stomach, facing him still. "Last night I came to terms that Stefan and I may have been separated by force, but it's my choice to move on and forward." She whispered her next confession. "I don't think I'm in love with him anymore."

Damon didn't want to hear Elena's thought process. He didn't need to put his heart through anymore ache. All he needed was a nice blood bag and a cup of his precious bourbon that he loves so much. Then, they could erase this intimate morning and forget it ever happened.

Yes, there was something different between them. And it was that _something_ that had Damon actually hoping Elena was being genuine and that she finally made up her damn mind. It was the feeling of her hand intertwining with his that allowed his small ray of hope to expand. And when he looked into her deep, brown eyes for the first time in minutes, he saw vulnerability and honesty. She was scared but for once in her life she wasn't denying her feelings.

Damon wanted to cradle Elena all morning and worship her like she deserved, but first he had to tell her how he felt. In the past she didn't appreciate how he exposed his feelings, but something changed overnight.

"I think…" Damon cursed Caroline and Bonnie for ringing the doorbell to Elena's house in that moment. "Witchy and Blondie are here. I should go before Blondie kicks down the door."

Damon was up and out of bed before Elena could protest. He shrugged on his jacket and opened her bedroom window. Before leaping out he looked over his shoulder one last time. Words weren't spoken as he smirked and winked.

Elena was lost in her train of thought when Caroline and Bonnie entered her room right after Damon shut her window in his departure.

Instantly, Caroline wrinkled her nose in disgust. "It smells like leather, blood, bourbon, and…" The blonde trailed off as realization hit her.

"What?" Bonnie asked. But when she saw Caroline's face she knew what was going on too.

"Why the hell was Damon _fucking_ Salvatore in your room this morning?" Caroline walked around with her nose high in the air. "And from the smell of it, he just left."

Elena couldn't stop the small smile on her face. She was practically glowing as she continuously stared at his side of her bed.

Something definitely changed between Damon and her, and it was only a matter of time before they would either grow together or self destruct.

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**Please review and tell me if you hate or love it. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews and follows and favorites! Now remember, this story will not follow season three from here on out. I hope you like it and if you're just reading this because it's Damon and Elena story, don't worry, there's a Damon and Elena part towards the end of this chapter! Let me know what you think please.**

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"So what is this supposed plan of his?" Caroline asked as she munched slowly on the fries she ordered. Her tone held a lot of judgment, but Elena brushed it off as she couldn't stop smiling.

Bonnie had been quiet for most of the meal, but she was listening intently and watching Elena closely. She had noticed a change in her friend's demeanor. No longer was her best friend lip biting anxiously, stressing over Stefan's struggle with Klaus, nor was she shutting herself off from the world besides Damon and concentrating solely on vampires. Instead, Bonnie had a suspicion that Elena was concentrating solely on one vampire: Damon Salvatore.

Elena shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. We didn't get a chance to talk about it this morning." Elena sipped on her soda as she fiddled with her phone underneath the table. Her fingers were itching to text Damon. She didn't know what she would say or more exactly, what she _should_ say, but anything was better than nothing in her opinion. However, she found it too hard to concentrate on texting Damon when she had to fully pay attention to Caroline's twenty question game.

Caroline narrowed her eyes curiously, not fully believing Elena. "Right," she drew out sarcastically, "you guys didn't have time to talk about it because we interrupted you. It wasn't because you were pressed together on your bed doing other…_things_?" Caroline expectantly looked Elena over. She wasn't angry or pissed, but she was disapproving and skeptical when any topic concerned Damon.

"Caroline!" Bonnie admonished. A slight blush covered her cheeks as she understood what Caroline was implying. She wasn't a prude, but she was the most innocent of the three girls; having never had sex before. The subject that Caroline was implying wasn't exactly the most comfortable for Bonnie to be talking about in a public setting.

Caroline shrugged innocently. "What?" She turned back to Elena. "I was on the receiving end of Damon first. I know his tricks and wicked ways. And yeah, I get that he's the 'bad boy' and that you've been attracted to that ever since he came to town, but sooner rather than later you need to snap out of your infatuation and return back to your epic love story with Stefan."

Elena huffed briefly before thinking carefully over her next response. "Caroline, I know you mean well, and I get that Damon used you, but he's changed. Stefan's changed." Elena paused before finally confessing. "I've changed too. After my parents passed away, I changed drastically and—"

"I know you changed. You quit everything!"

"Caroline," Bonnie scolded again.

"And then I started dating Stefan and our relationship started off on a twisted and complicated path. I was in love with him and he'll always be in my heart, but after this summer, I've changed again."

"Only because Stefan was ripped away from you. He's on the right path now, Elena. You just have to wait him out. You said he saved Damon last night, right? When Mikael attacked?"

Elena sighed. "He did, but he didn't do it for me. He's changing because of his love for Damon. Blood is thicker than water." Elena picked at the chips on her plate and decided to just push aside her half eaten sandwich and picked through chips that weren't salty enough.

"Well I think—"

"Look Care, I already know what you think," Elena snapped before offering up a small smile. "I know that you're concerned, I know that you both don't like Damon, but I can't be with Stefan knowing that I have feelings for Damon anymore. It's not fair to anyone."

Caroline just rolled her eyes and surprisingly it was Bonnie who laid her hand on top of Elena's in a comforting manner. "He's everything I'm against, Elena. I can't just pretend and forget about everything he did last year, but…I'm willing to at least try and understand your feelings. You're obviously happy and I don't trust Stefan as far as I can throw him right now."

Elena expected Bonnie to be the last person to ever accept her and Damon together, however, she smiled because if Bonnie could learn to accept Damon then Caroline would come around later too.

Just then Elena's phone vibrated in her hand, indicating a text.

_Mikael's here. Come to boarding house asap._

The text was from Damon. As she looked up from her phone, she noticed Bonnie and Caroline were also looking at their phones. This confused Elena. Did Damon actually send out a mass text?

"Did Damon text you guys too?" Elena asked.

"Jeremy did. He said he's with Damon, Stefan, and Mikael at the boarding house. The plan is ready to be in motion," Bonnie responded. She looked at Elena with worry. She might be having trouble with Jeremy at the moment, but it still worried her that Jeremy was in the boarding house with all vampires.

"I don't like the sound of that. Let's go," Elena decided, laying down money to cover their bill.

* * *

When the three girls arrived they were only expecting Mikael, Stefan, Damon, and Jeremy in the parlor. However, Rebekah was present and standing as far away from Mikael as possible, Elijah stood by her side with his hands folded in front of him, Matt and Tyler sat on a couch, Alaric stood near Damon and Mikael as all three were drinking from tumblers, and Elena was shocked to see Katherine sitting on the arm of a chair that Stefan occupied near the fireplace. She sat in a short mini dress, her legs crossed to hitch her dress up perfectly.

Katherine smirked at Elena and gave her a mock friendly wave. She purred, "Hello Elena."

"Katherine," Elena sneered. "I figured you would have run off by now. Isn't that what you do when you get scared?"

"Can someone please explain why Barbie and skanky Katherine are here? They're not a part of our team!" Caroline exclaimed.

"We're killing Klaus," Mikael announced gruffly. He sneered at Caroline. "And as soon as he's gone, I will continue to rid the world of vampires."

Elena risked a glance at Elijah and Rebekah. Since when was Elijah around again? She didn't have time to question it though because other thoughts ran through her mind and now definitely wasn't the time to talk to Elijah to get answers. Instead, Elena couldn't imagine being them in that moment. They were here to help kill their brother and then they had to sit through listening to their father talking about killing them. It wasn't right. Elena might not like Rebekah, but she had a friendship and understanding with Elijah. He would not die because of Mikael.

"No," Elena announced.

Everyone went speechless except Damon. "What do you mean _no_? He's going to kill Klaus. We'll be rid of him for good." Damon had an edge to his tone. The morning happiness affect had worn off him and he was back to his controlling self.

Elena crossed her arms and walked closer to where Mikael, Damon, and Alaric stood. She looked Mikael in the eye, not bothering to respond to Damon. They had spent nearly the last half year fighting back and forth when deciding how to execute plans. Elena knew he would do anything to save her, even if that meant sacrificing people that she cared about. She wasn't going to let Damon do that for her this time.

"Mikael, you need me to kill Klaus. You need the human doppelganger on your side." Elena was hoping he would believe her bluff. His eyes scanned her body, appraising her and how serious she was. "If you don't follow my terms then I will willingly give Klaus my blood so he can create more hybrids."

"You wouldn't do that," he sneered.

"What?" Caroline yelled in disbelief.

"This is interesting," Katherine smiled brightly. She definitely didn't know where her human doppelganger was going with this little stunt.

"I would if it meant protecting the people that I care about in this town. If you think I'm bluffing, I can have Elijah call Klaus and I'll tell him myself that I'm offering my blood."

Mikael hesitated for a brief moment before snarling, "And your terms are?"

"After you kill Klaus, you will leave Mystic Falls and never return. You will let all the vampires in this room live. You won't fight, touch, or kill them in anyway; especially your own children."

Mikael chuckled darkly. "My children are abominations to this world. They are all killers."

"Elijah and Rebekah are off limits," Elena declared.

They had a stare down, as no one spoke in the room. When Mikael didn't say a word, Elena held out her hand. "Elijah, call Klaus and let me talk to him. I'm sure he needs more of my blood to create an army."

Elijah didn't hesitate. He was smart enough to know the stunt Elena was planning. He dialed Klaus's number and right before he could hand her the phone, Mikael finally spoke up.

"Fine," he hissed. "I won't kill anyone in this room after Klaus is dead." There was a glint of anger and betrayal that flashed through Mikael's eye. Elena nodded her head, but hearing Mikael's promise still didn't sit well with her. She had a feeling Mikael was up to something and that put her on edge.

* * *

"Are you stupid?" Damon exclaimed angrily. He released Elena's upper arm and turned away from her in a blur. He had his hands situated on his dresser, breathing in and out. He was trying very hard the last couple of weeks to reign in his temper and rash decisions, but Elena knew exactly how to push his buttons.

Elena sighed softly. "Damon, he was going to kill Elijah and Rebekah."

"Are you crazy?" Damon roared, throwing all caution out the window. He whirled around again and Elena could actually see black veins flowing down his face. She had never seen him this mad, and so she had to pull him back from the edge.

She went to lay a hand on his arm, but he yanked away from her. "Damon, he would have killed Caroline, Tyler, Stefan, and…you. He would have stabbed all of us in the back after killing Klaus."

"We would have found another way. Instead, you choose to save everyone in that bloody room down there! We could have been free of Rebekah, and Katherine, and Elijah! There would be no more originals to deal with. Do you not understand that?" Damon was centimeters away from Elena, looking down at her as he towered over her.

"Elijah would be dead," Elena hissed back. Elijah didn't deserve to die in Elena's opinion. Her friends and the originals may be vampires, but her friends weren't killers. If she let Mikael kill them, then that would be murder.

"You would be dead, Damon," Elena snarled. "Don't you get that? I'm not in danger, I didn't promise Mikael anything, and so I think we won this battle for now."

Damon rolled his eyes. "You think you won by standing up against this vampire hunter who could have killed you in a heartbeat for trying to negotiate with him? You're even more naïve than I thought."

"You may not like what I did down there, but I think we're even. I don't like the plan Mikael and everyone else came up with, but I'm dealing with it. You should grow up and stop being so stubborn." Elena's chest was rising and falling with the heat of their argument. They were so close to one another that she could feel his slight breath on her face.

"You think I'm stubborn by trying to protect you?" Damon growled. "This plan will work and face it Elena, you're not a part of it because it's too dangerous for you."

"If something goes wrong…" Elena trailed off. Their conversation started off harsh and loud, and somehow it turned into an intimate conversation centering on the plan to kill Klaus. "If something happens and someone gets hurt…"

Damon saw the worry in her eyes, the glistening nerves that always showed on her face whenever she thought of others getting hurt in scary situations. He put his two hands on her shoulders, his fingers rubbing small circles on the back. He bent slightly so his eyes were at her level.

"No one is going to get hurt; well, except for Klaus. I promise you, Elena. No one will get hurt."

His words were so sincere and strong that she had no choice but to believe him. When she spoke to Damon she made it seem like she was worrying for everyone. And she was, she didn't want anyone to get hurt. But deep down, her greatest fear was Damon getting hurt. He would be the one closest to Klaus during the night they kill him. There were so many people a part of the plan and too many things could go wrong, and Damon would take Klaus's anger. It worried Elena to the core.

She wanted to tell him how she felt, but she didn't want to scare him with her strong feelings. She knew he wasn't used to her affections like this and the morning they shared probably freaked him out a bit. Damon didn't know what was happening between them and Elena was sure he was probably second guessing every action she took given their past history.

"I just want _everyone_ to be safe," Elena reassured him.

She hoped he got her message when she stressed the word _everyone_. In reality, _everyone_ meant him. She wanted Damon to play it smart and safe.

"They will be," Damon promised. But what he really meant was _I will._

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**Please review and if someone can answer my question that would be wonderful. My question is, when using a white oak stake to kill an original, will it kill the supernatural being that used it (like the stake dipped in white oak powder)? I'm confused because Jeremy killed Kol and he didn't die even though technically he was supernatural. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Can we trust him?" Elena asked. She spoke louder than normal as she was in Damon's room and he was in his bathroom, working on putting together wolfsbane grenades.

Damon leaned back on his heals to look at Elena through the archway. She was dressed in skin tight jeans that outlined her backside perfectly and a tight tank top that pushed her breasts up. Damon looked her over before clearing his throat, getting lost in Elena's figure.

"No, we can't trust him. He's still compelled by Klaus." Damon hated to admit that he couldn't trust his own brother, however, this wasn't the first time he felt like this. He had spent over one hundred years feeling like Stefan betrayed him and his trust. It wasn't until coming back to Mystic Falls that Damon started to open his mind and allow himself to trust one other person: Elena Gilbert.

Elena saw the turmoil pass over Damon's face. She put down the vervain darts she was working on and stood next to Damon. She put her hand on his forearm and rubbed circles with her fingers. He looked down at their joint limbs before looking at her.

"We'll get through this, and soon enough, Stefan will be on our side again." Elena looked down and away from Damon's intense blue eyes. He seemed to be staring at her with as much intensity as he could muster. She had butterflies in her stomach as she swallowed her pride and looked back into his crystal blue orbs. "I just want to say that—"

"It seems that as soon as I turn my back you two always are groping one another." Stefan raised an eye brow in question, daring either of them to answer him. He was happy on the inside as he watched Elena spring back from Damon as if he were the plague. And it was just an added bonus that Damon actually looked hurt for a moment before his façade came back and his signature smirk crossed his face. "I need a tie."

"You have your own ties," Damon hissed. He rolled his eyes at Stefan's behavior and continued what he was doing. "And if I were you, I would finish getting ready and go help everyone downstairs."

Damon and Stefan could hear the gathered teenagers and originals in their parlor; sharpening stakes and preparing their own weapons and ingredients to use during the homecoming party. Tyler wasn't there, however, as he had to prepare for the party at his house. That's where the staking of Klaus would happen.

"I'm a hundred and fifty year old vampire and I'm going to a pathetic homecoming dance. Give me one of your ties."

Elena crossed her arms and glared at Stefan. It was hard to see him like this when she had only known one side of him. She was used to his kind and caring self and now he was just acting like a douche bag. "You know, you should be thanking us. We're putting everyone on the line for you. If we don't kill Klaus then you'll be compelled by him forever."

"Ah," Stefan drew out with a smirk of his own. "I'm putting my trust and faith in humans, vampires, and originals. Yes, I suppose I should go thank them. It's not like they don't have reasons for wanting Klaus dead either," Stefan snapped.

Damon nearly growled at Stefan's tone. He stepped in front of Elena and crossed his arms threateningly. Stefan and his prissy attitude were getting on his last nerve. "Take a tie and get the hell out. Or do you need me to kick your ass again?"

Stefan held up his hands in a surrendering way. His chuckle was mocking though. "I'm scared, Damon. You have me shaking in my black shoes."

Stefan left the room instantly and both Elena and Damon let out a sigh at the same time. When Damon turned to look at Elena the corners of her mouth were lifting up. It only took a minute before a small chuckle left her moist lips.

Damon looked at her curiously. "I'm glad someone can find amusement in my baby bro's attitude. He's acting like a punk."

"Who would have thought that a year ago we would be standing here in your bathroom making grenades and planning on killing this powerful hybrid?" Elena put her hand around her stomach because she was laughing and her other hand held the marble counter to support herself. "Did you realize that exactly one year ago you had kidnapped me and brought me to Georgia with you? And that a year ago, I actually dug up your father's grave to stop you from opening the tomb?" Elena was laughing as tears came to her eyes.

The vampire rolled his eyes dramatically as he watched the woman he was in love with lose herself in laughter. He figured her laughing was a lot better than her crying because he hated to see her cry. He had made her cry too much in the past.

"I wouldn't call it kidnapping. You were hardly a kid," he retaliated.

"Oh God," Elena smiled up at Damon. "I needed to laugh. That felt good." She patted Damon on the shoulder as she past him. "I should finish getting ready for the dance." She walked over to his closet and grabbed the bag that held her dress. She had brought it over earlier in the day.

Damon kept his eyes down and focused on the task at hand. He still had stakes to sharpen and crossbows to fix before the plan started. But it was hard as he knew that once Elena shut the bathroom door, he would know that she would be changing in his room. She would be stripping out of her tight little outfit and into a tighter dress that would amplify her best features.

He never thought that the first time Elena would be naked in his room would be just to change into a dress for a petty homecoming dance. He figured she would be naked because he would tear her clothes from her body, making her scream him name.

"Do you think I can do my makeup and hair in here or do you want me to go to the guestroom?" Elena asked as she opened the door and Damon's mouth went instantly dry.

Elena blushed as she noticed Damon's eyes scanning her body. She had never really seen him speechless before, but he was only staring. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze; clearing her throat to get his attention.

"Right, um…" Damon cleared his throat, not being one to get so distracted easily. He felt like a teenage boy again; finding that the more time he spent with Elena, the more he felt that way. "I'm about done. Feel free to do whatever."

There was something appealing about seeing Elena's curling iron, make up, and other girly products scattered around his bathroom. He was one for control and order, but he felt such pride seeing his space being shared with Elena.

As Elena worked on her hair and makeup, she tried everything to ignore Damon who was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. He was leaning so casually as his head tilted to study her.

"Are you feeling better about the plan now that we tweaked it this morning?" Damon asked. He wanted to make at least some conversation so he didn't feel like a stalker. He couldn't take his eyes away from her though as she stood in front of him wearing a short, tight, strapless dress. She chose the color black and around her cleavage, rhinestones outlined the top of the dress. Her legs looked impossibly long as the dress only went down to her mid thighs. And as Damon managed to drag his eyes away from her legs, they flickered to her chest and the cleavage that showed. The front of her dress dipped a little in the front as it clung to her like a second skin.

"What do you think?" Elena asked as she turned towards him.

Damon forced a smile; wanting to be her date to this stupid dance. "Perfect."

* * *

"Hey Austin," Tyler greeted with a pat on the back. He looked his football mate in the eye and compelled: "I need you to stay in the backyard no matter what you see or hear. Listen to the band and enjoy yourself. Don't leave until I tell you too."

Austin walked away in a daze as Tyler continued to compel his guests as they walked through his door. Caroline was at his side, helping as she stopped and talked to half of the guests too.

The blonde looked at that time and sighed. There were only a few more people coming and so she knew Tyler could handle compelling everyone else. "I have to go. Bonnie should be done with her job."

"Ah," Klaus's voice rang out. He wore a smug smirk as he stood in front of seven other hybrids. "There's my other hybrid. I've been wondering where you've been the last couple of days." Klaus looked at Caroline with a smile. "Greetings, Caroline. Always a pleasure."

He bowed and took Caroline's hand to his lips. He pressed a light kiss against the back of her hand before she yanked away and walked up the stairs without saying a word.

"Please tell me you're done," Caroline whispered just in case Klaus was listening. Elijah and Rebekah stood at the door to protect Bonnie just in case some unwanted hybrid decided to creep up on the witch. No one knew that the three of them were upstairs, but they were taking precautions. "You-know-who just arrived with an entourage."

"Give me a minute." Bonnie put two more ingredients into the wooden bowl, lit it on fire and started chanting in a language that Caroline didn't understand.

"This better work," Rebekah hissed.

"Patience, sister," Elijah chided lightly. "You shouldn't rush the people who are helping us."

"It's done," Bonnie said. She poured the liquid into a vial and handed it to Caroline. Caroline sniffed it and shuttered. It was black and smelled like death. "Remember, only give this to Klaus if he's in the ballroom. If he drinks it there, then he won't be able to leave the room unless I take the spell off of him."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it Bonnie," Caroline shrugged her off with a grateful smile. "Are you two ready?" Caroline asked; leading Elijah and Rebekah to the ballroom.

* * *

"Aren't you a little old for homecoming dances?" Damon asked casually as he reached behind the makeshift bar Mrs. Lockwood kept in her home and poured himself a drink.

Klaus chuckled darkly. "I could say the same to you, mate."

Damon glared. "We're not mates. You just happen to be the dick who has a hold over my brother."

Klaus took the drink Damon poured for himself and swallowed a gulp. His smirk was unsettling and his eyes glowed with delight as he looked past Damon. "Well, it seems that didn't take too long. I knew she would go running back to Stefan."

Damon turned around and glared as he watched her hand curl around Stefan's arm, the way Stefan had his hand on her lower back, and the way she threw her head back and laughed carefree.

"Did you really think Elena would go running to you when Stefan is around? You should have just let him go, then you would have the girl." Klaus took a bottle from the bar smugly. "I think I'll go and say hello."

"Stay away from her Klaus," Damon warned. He stepped in front of Klaus and blocked his path. This commotion caught Stefan's attention.

"Or what?" Klaus taunted. "You can't kill me Damon. And maybe, I'll spare your pathetic life." Klaus clicked his tongue twice. "I feel pity for you. The brother who is always second best, impulsive, and in love with his brother's girl."

Klaus pushed past Damon, knocking shoulders into the blue eyed vampire's body. He approached Stefan with a friendly smile. "Isn't this a surprise," Klaus stated. "I guess I was right. The one thing that is stronger than your thirst for blood is this one girl." Klaus's lips twitched as he looked at Elena. "And how's my blood bag?"

Klaus's eyes narrowed as he looked at Elena. Elena's eyes went wide as a small gasp released from her mouth. She knew that he knew. Their plan was being ruined as Klaus gripped her forearm roughly.

"Although, I must say that you had me fooled for a minute there. Hello Miss. Pierce," Klaus sneered. He ripped her away from Stefan and threw her across the room. She effectively broke a wooden table that no doubt cost Mrs. Lockwood a fortune. Splinters of wood coated her battered body.

Everything happened so fast as Klaus was slammed into by two different forces. The wind was nearly knocked out of him as Rebekah and Elijah took him by surprise. They had pushed him so hard that he fell through the ballroom doors and Caroline appeared. Before Klaus could move, Elijah and Rebekah each took one of his arms to hold him still. But they were barely strong enough. Stefan and Damon joined the siblings to hold Klaus still.

"Hurry Caroline!" Stefan yelled.

Caroline was nervous as her fingers jumbled the vial before pulling the cap off. She was close to Klaus and had to use her fingers to pry open his roaring mouth. She dumped the liquid in just in time as Klaus spluttered and threw all four vampires off of him.

Klaus had figured out their plan minutes too soon and so when Katherine stood up, she looked between the ballroom and the front door. He wasn't supposed to know that she was there helping. He would kill her right away if he was given the chance. Katherine did the only thing she was used to and ran towards the door. She was leaving Mystic Falls.

Elijah and Rebekah recovered faster than Damon and Stefan, however, the Salvatore boys weren't slow on their feet. Each vampire charged Klaus, and Klaus batted them away with a flick of the wrist.

Bonnie came down the steps, chanting a spell and all of a sudden Klaus shrieked with pain. His body contorted at all different angles.

Tyler appeared at Bonnie's side. He had been out back, watching the hybrids that Klaus brought with him. Unfortunately, the hybrids followed him inside, and under the orders of Klaus, they started attacking.

There were five hybrids and Klaus who was basically down for the fight in the moment. As long as Bonnie kept her spell going, then they didn't need to worry about Klaus until Mikael decided to make his big appearance.

As vampires fought hybrids smoke suddenly appeared. Matt, Alaric, Jeremy, and Elena set off the smoke bombs that they created, successfully taking the hybrids by surprise. Vervain and wolfsbane grenades went off like crazy, the humans being careful not to hit their friends with the Vervain.

Bonnie was taken by surprise as she stood in the corner of the room. A hybrid came at her, making her stop chanting and allowing Klaus the freedom of recuperating within seconds. Bonnie let out a yelp as the enemy got closer. Her eyes shut as he was too fast and she didn't have enough energy left to cast a new spell. But when the pain of dying didn't come, she opened her eyes one by one and saw that Damon was standing before her, his hand forced through the hybrid's chest. Within a second, he ripped out his heart and they both watched him fall to the ground.

"Stop!" Klaus roared. Everyone froze in surprise by Klaus.

Alaric already had a dislocated shoulder from a hybrid while Matt was bleeding from the mouth. Rebekah may be an original, but her fighting technique wasn't the best, and as Damon looked around at the aftermath of the mini battle, he realized Elena was nowhere in sight. She wasn't with Jeremy and Alaric like planned.

"I'm playing my cards down on the table. Bring her out!" Klaus yelled.

Two hybrids walked into the room with a struggling Elena. They each held one of her arms.

Stefan was right by Damon's side, each vampire ready to rush forward. "He knew the whole night," Damon muttered to Stefan.

"Don't move," Klaus warned the brothers. "Or I'll have her ripped apart. And then I'll heal her again and then rip her apart again. Very painful process."

"I swear to God, Klaus. If you hurt her I'll kill you myself," Damon growled. Damon took a step forward, Klaus nodded, and Elena screamed. One of the hybrids started pulling harshly on her arm for added effect.

"Damon," Elena cried in pain. "Stop."

In a blur, no one saw him coming; Mikael rushed into the room and had beheaded both of the hybrids that were holding Elena. "Hello, son," Mikael greeted. He took satisfaction in Klaus's fear.

"Father," Klaus nearly stuttered.

"Tell your hybrids to stand down," Mikael demanded, "Or I'll kill Elena. You'll no longer have the means to create new abominations."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "You're bluffing. You wouldn't kill her; she's human."

Mikael dug the stake into Elena's back, making her flinch. She had tears in her eyes. "He's not bluffing Klaus. This wasn't a part of the plan."

"She's right. And even though she's human, she's a vampire sympathizer. I'm willing to kill her," Mikael sneered. He pushed the stake in further, digging a hole in the back of her dress and Elena could feel the wood against her skin.

"Klaus, please!" Elena begged.

Klaus looked around and saw that at least four of his hybrids were dead anyways. He only had three left, but four counting Tyler. He took a deep breath, and without blinking, he answered: "No."

Mikael staked Elena through her lower back.

"No!" Damon and Klaus both yelled out for different reasons. Stefan tried to get to Elena, but a hybrid got in his way, Caroline was injured in the leg as Tyler held her weight against him, Jeremy looked shattered as Bonnie hid her face in his chest and Damon pushed forward.

He missed when Mikael leapt over Elena's body and grabbed Klaus by the collar of his shirt. He missed it when Rebekah and Elijah held Klaus down and allowed Mikael to stab Klaus through the heart. No one took satisfaction in Klaus dying as they watched Damon kneel down next to Elena's body.

The compulsion wore off the remaining hybrids, Stefan's eyes glossed over as Klaus's body lay on the ground in a grey heap, and his freedom reappeared.

"Damon?" Elena whispered meekly.

Damon smoothed her hair back. "You're going to be okay."

"I feel cold," she whimpered.

Damon shut his eyes, the tears stinging his blue orbs. He always played the bad guy, he had no remorse for killing, but seeing Elena with blood spewing out of her was his last straw. He brought his wrist up to his mouth and ripped skin. Blood gushed out of his wound and he tentatively brought it down to her mouth. The last time he fed her his blood, she hated him.

"I need you to drink," Damon pleaded quietly. It was as if they were the only two left in the world. No one else mattered.

Damon's warm hand reached behind Elena's head and he gently sat her up; cradling her in his arms. He didn't care he was getting his expensive suit ruined with her blood. He just needed her to be okay and it would all be worth it.

He lowered his free wrist to her mouth and was thankful that she wasn't protesting for once in her life. Damon shut his eyes; the sight of her drinking from his wrist because she was hurt was painful for him. This should have been a pleasurable experience between them, but instead it was because her life was in danger.

Elena's lips pulled at his skin and when she was able to not cringe in pain she pulled away. She was certain she drank enough and when she sat up all by herself without feeling pain she smiled a little. But when she saw Damon still kneeling by her, unshed tears in his eyes, she frowned. Her eyes matched his in emotion as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Klaus's body on the ground. "We won," she whispered.

Damon leaned his forward against her own and in front of everyone, Elena pulled his face closer and she laid her lips gently on his.

* * *

**Please Review**


	4. Chapter 4

**Please remember that I'm not following the TV plot line anymore and so the decedents of Klaus won't die just because he was staked. Also, please review and let me know if you like where this story is headed or not. I put in a Damon and Elena scene also, so I hope you like it.**

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"I so did not need to see my sister making out with Damon Salvatore," Jeremy groaned as he and Alaric entered their home. It had been a long night and after Caroline, Stefan, and Damon helped heal Matt's busted face and Alaric's shoulder everyone had left Tyler's house one by one. However, Stefan and Damon were in charge of gathering up the dead bodies and discarding them secretly.

"I hate to say it Jere, but I think he really loves her and I think Elena is falling for him too." Alaric patted Jeremy on the back. He knew what struggles Jeremy had gone through in the past, he had nearly lost all of his family members. And Jeremy wasn't naïve. He knew what Damon was capable of doing, and now his sister was kissing the vampire in front of everyone without a second thought. Alaric sighed as he and Jeremy stood at the base of the stairs. "I don't feel like going to bed, you staying up?"

Jeremy shook his head tiredly. "Nah, I'm just heading up to bed. It's been a long day."

"You can say that again," Alaric said before offering Jeremy a small smile. "Night Jeremy."

"Night Ric."

* * *

"So what are you going to do now that you are Klaus free?" Damon taunted lightly. He was trying his best to make jokes and keep things light, but Stefan only gave him a pointed look. Damon rolled his eyes and held up his hands to ease the tension. "Relax, if anything, I was a victim. I didn't kiss her, she kissed me."

Stefan wiped his hands off on his dress pants and stood right in Damon's face. He crossed his arms and shrugged. "You sure didn't mind being the _victim_ then," Stefan bit out.

He knocked his shoulder into Damon's as he passed by him. Damon rolled his eyes at his brother's dramatics. "You're seriously mad? You haven't been in love with Elena since you left with Klaus. You left her behind and told her to stop trying. This…_girl_," Damon spat out the word, "Gave up her whole summer just to look for you only for you to crush her dreams. And I had to be the one to pick up your mess again." Damon stalked up to his brother, tired of Stefan's broody attitude. "Let's get one thing straight, I played it nice this summer. I helped her look for you every fucking day. She kissed me. Not the other way around."

"Let's not pretend that this isn't the best night of your life," Stefan warned before he stormed off. He had a lot of guilt, regret, and anger built up. He had let Klaus take everything away from him piece by piece. And the moment he saw Elena willingly choose Damon in front of everyone was the moment Stefan realized he really had lost her.

Damon let out a grunt as he followed Stefan out of the woods. They had buried Klaus and his hybrids and now it was time to deal with the fact that Mikael was still around and lurking behind any tree, Katherine had ran off, and Elena had kissed him. What did that mean?

* * *

The moment he entered his room he sighed tiredly. He kept his back towards her as he loosened his tie. "Shouldn't you be in my brother's room right now? After all, you did choose him tonight."

Elena stood from Stefan's bed and walked over to him. She was still in her dress that was completely ruined and caked in blood in the back. "I wanted to know how you were feeling." She put her hand on his arm and she felt him tense. She didn't blame him as a small part of her felt like she betrayed him, but in reality, she felt like she did nothing wrong.

Stefan laughed humorlessly. "I'm doing wonderful," he answered sarcastically. "We killed Klaus, I got my freedom back, and then the girl that I'm in love with kissed my brother."

"I didn't plan on hurting you." When Stefan didn't look at her, Elena figured this probably wasn't the best time to talk. "I'm sorry Stefan. I didn't want to hurt you."

Stefan finally turned around and Elena saw his glossy eyes and sunken in face. He looked like a man who had given up. "I'm changing, Elena. I'm becoming the old Stefan again for you."

Elena shook her head. "No you're not Stefan. We both know that's not true." Elena looked down at the ground. She didn't want to talk about this. She came to his room for one thing and that was to see how he was doing. She didn't want to talk about their broken relationship. "I'm sorry Stefan, but no matter if you change or not, I can't date you."

Elena started to walk out of his room, but before she left completely, his voice stopped her dead in her tracks. "I thought you loved me!"

His voice was loud and accusing; making her flinch.

"I do love you Stefan. I'm just not in love with you."

When she shut the door she heard things crashing and glass smashing into hundreds of pieces on the ground. Elena walked down the stairs. She wasn't planning on staying at the boarding house, but when Damon spotted her from the parlor she had no choice but to confront him too that night.

"Well you don't look so well," Damon's voice was tense. "Rough night?" He teased lightly. Automatically he poured her a drink and handed it to her. He sat down on the couch and offered her the spot next to him.

Elena accepted the drink and took a small sip, and shuddered at the taste. "Try a long four months, and now it's finally over." She sighed heavily. "I should be happier that it's over, but I can't seem to care."

Damon put his arm around the back of her casually and he was surprised she voluntarily laid her head on his shoulder. Ever since five days ago when he awoke in her room, dynamics between them had changed. He was determined to get to the bottom of it now.

"You should get some rest. I don't think you're thinking too clearly after everything that's happened." Damon knew that was a lame excuse to talk about her decision to kiss him, but he didn't know how to do it in any other subtle way.

Elena looked him square in the eye and he noticed her lip trembling slightly. She was nervous. Damon just didn't know if she was nervous because of their close proximity or because she was planning on breaking his heart once again.

"I think for the first time in a while I'm thinking clearer than ever before." She turned in his arm and put both of her hands on his shoulders. Elena knew she was invading his personal space for once, but she didn't care. All her fears left her as she realized this was her time to reassure Damon. She had tossed him aside in the past; never focusing on her feelings for him. But now was the time to confess.

"Something's different, Damon…and I like it." She got even closer and she felt relief as Damon's mouth turned into a small smile. "Tell me you don't want me and I'll go home. Tell me that you don't love me and I'll stay away. But I really hope you don't because I'm just finally realizing that I've been wrong this whole time."

Deep down, Damon knew Stefan still was in love with Elena. He didn't tune out their conversation. He could hear everything from Stefan's room if he wanted too; a perk of drinking human blood instead of animal blood. It was all starting to make sense to him now. The hope that flared in his stomach days before, the hope that told him maybe Elena was actually choosing him, turned into a big ball of fire. He wanted to consume her; trust her in every way possible, but there was one thing stopping him: Stefan.

Elena took Damon's silence as a good sign and started to bring herself closer to him. She was about ready to press her lips against his but he turned at the last possible second. Instead, she caught his cheek.

"Damon?" Elena whispered. Her vulnerability was showing.

"Stefan," he breathed out. "We can't because of Stefan."

Elena pulled back completely and stood up. Tears were in her eyes at Damon's rejection. It seemed unusual for Damon to care so much about his brother's feelings, but Elena knew the real Damon. He might be selfish and rash on the outside, but deep down, he thought of others before himself.

"I thought you loved me," Elena murmured.

Damon squeezed his eyes shut to block Elena's heartbroken face out of his mind. He heard her steps retreating and he knew that he was losing her because of his own stupid self. The moment he heard the door open he knew he had lost her unless he did something.

"Elena!" He called out. He blurred in front of her, blocking her from leaving the open front door. "Don't you ever doubt my love for you, but I have to do the right thing by you. You're hurt, vulnerable, and I would just be taking advantage of you. And then there's Stefan who we have to worry about. And yes," Damon proclaimed almost violently. His voice was shaking with anger. "I do feel guilty because I've always wanted my brother's girl. But you know what?" Elena was speechless. "If I'm going to feel guilty then I may as well feel guilty over this."

After his speech he slammed his mouth against Elena's and claimed her lips with his own. She gasped into the kiss as his hard body pushed into hers. She pulled desperately at his shoulders and waist, anywhere she could touch. Damon pushed her back even more, kicking the door shut behind himself and efficiently turning them with vampire speed so Elena's back hit the hard, wood.

Elena felt like his hands were everywhere on her body. His left hand gripped her hand and brought it above her head. Her fingers clasped around his and used his strength to hold herself up as her legs shook from the intimacy and intensity that Damon seared into her skin. His other hand ran up and down her waist and cupped her backside before moving swiftly back up to her back.

He pulled back slightly for Elena to take a breath, but she used her free hand and pulled his face back to her own. His lips moved across her face, down her neck and to the top of her dress. She couldn't stand having her lips parted from his and so she dragged him back up to her mouth and pressed her tongue inside. Damon didn't hesitate to battle for dominance and the moment his right hand touched her upper thigh and ass, she gasped at how good it felt and Damon won the tongue war.

Damon blurred them over to the wall, and Elena's leg hooked around his waist. His left hand left her arm and slithered down her body. He was pressing his hard groin into her pelvis, her dress perfectly being scrunched around her upper thighs and giving him access to her damp black thong.

The moment his fingers collided against her panties and gave pressure, Elena couldn't help the moan that slipped past her mouth. But she was done having Damon be the dominator. She brought both of her hands to his chest and pushed with strength she didn't know she possessed. She turned them, although she was fairly certain Damon allowed her to move him. If he really wanted to, they both knew he could out power her anytime.

Elena pushed him against the opposite wall, and their bodies hit the table, making a lamp fall over and break into pieces. Neither Damon nor Elena noticed.

Her hands slid under his shirt, pulling at it until button after button flew to the ground and his chest was fully exposed. Her mouth worked down his chest, nibbling lightly and Damon groaned at the feeling of her mouth covering him. She wasn't this shy, inexperienced girl he thought she was. Damon knew there was a vixen somewhere in Elena, but he didn't expect to see her right away.

"We have a problem," Bonnie announced as she walked right into the boarding house without knocking. Her actions were frantic and she didn't exactly know who she was talking to, but she had a feeling Elena was at the boarding house and so she hoped she wouldn't have to look far. "Elena?!" Bonnie called out but froze in her spot as Jeremy and Alaric came tumbling in after her.

Bonnie had gone to Jeremy and Elena's house first, but when she wasn't there she told Alaric and Jeremy to follow her.

Elena was frozen like a deer in headlights as she was practically kneeling in front of Damon now, and Damon stood there with his signature smirk, his arms folded now as he took amusement in Jeremy's, Alaric's, and Bonnie's disgusted faces.

"Oh my God, I do not need to see my sister sucking anyone off," Jeremy announced as he pushed by Bonnie and went into the parlor to avoid the whole situation.

"There's this thing called knocking. You never know who might be indecent," Damon chided them lightly, amusement coating his tone.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. Elena finally stood up with a blush coating her cheeks. She was as red as a tomato.

"We have a problem. I figured you'd be here. Where's Stefan?" Bonnie asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Upstairs, being all broody," :Damon answered smoothly.

"I hope with headphones in," Alaric said. He couldn't look Elena in the eye. After staying with her for months now, acting as her guardian, he was never put in this situation before. It was beyond awkward. "I'm uh…going to get a drink," he stuttered.

Bonnie stood her ground, rolling her eyes at how cowardly Alaric and Jeremy were being. She quirked an eye brow in judgment. She knew Elena had feelings for Damon. She wasn't okay with those feelings, but she did promise Elena that she would understand.

Damon matched her stance, a playful smirk on his face as if he were taunting Bonnie. He made the witch scowl as she pushed past him and joined Jeremy and Alaric in the parlor. "Go get Stefan," she ordered.

Damon rolled his eyes dramatically as he turned around to stare at Elena. She was still a little red from her neck up to her forehead. Her hair was in curls still, but ratted like it had been pulled in every direction, the black dress was wrinkled and beyond repair, but she still looked just as beautiful.

"I guess playtime is over," Damon joked lightly, but his voice had a husk to it as he came closer and caged her in against the wall. He followed her line of sight and saw the lamp that was broken on the ground. "Don't worry, we never really liked that antique lamp anyways."

Elena couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her mouth. She shouldn't be laughing at a time like this, though. Obviously something was wrong and now it was time to face the problems. "Do you want to get Stefan or should I?"

Damon groaned as he laid his forehead against hers. He was staring in her eyes and she noticed that they no longer looked as menacing and intense. Instead, they looked more childish and playful. "Can't we just have one day to ourselves?"

"Nope," Elena joked. "Unfortunately, you're the big bad vampire that likes to create enemies and I'm the human doppelganger. As long as we're in Mystic Falls, people will always need us."

It had only taken ten minutes for originals to be tracked down, the humans to make their ways into the boarding house, and to have Bonnie explain the situation. Mikael had come to see her at her house after killing Klaus. He warned Bonnie he wasn't going to stop there. He had a plan to kill all vampires, and he needed her help.

"So you don't help him. Problem solved," Tyler said easily.

"I don't get it," Matt said uneasily. He wasn't used to handling situations like this. He was just a simple guy who played football and minded his own business. "Elena made a deal with him."

"But once Klaus died, our deal hardly meant anything to him," Elena answered. "I can't offer my blood to Klaus and so Mikael doesn't see me as a threat."

"So he needs Bonnie to cast a spell to kill all vampires in the world, and how does he plan to do that?" Caroline asked.

"Sacrifices. He told me there's a grimoire hidden that has the spell. The sacrifices are a vampire, hybrid, human, and an original." Bonnie looked around grimly. "He wants to use our group and if I don't help him then he threatened everyone in Mystic Falls."

Damon was pissed. He hated witches to begin with and it was no secret that he and Bonnie didn't get along, but now Mikael was using someone from his town and someone that Elena cares about to kill all of them. That was crossing the line.

"So we find the grimoire before Mikael, destroy it, and then there's no more spell. No sacrifices and then no one has to die. Simple," Damon declared tensely. He poured himself another drink and took a gulp.

"Did Mikael tell you where the spell was located?" Stefan asked.

Jeremy zoned out the moment Anna appeared. She was standing right behind Caroline with a sad expression. She was worried, that was apparent. She pointed to the dining room that leads into the kitchen that was hardly used. Jeremy nodded, knowing that Anna didn't want to alert anyone else right now before she talked to him.

"I'm going to get water," Jeremy announced awkwardly. He left before anyone could question him and sighed thankfully when he heard Stefan and Damon debating how to handle the situation.

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy whispered; hoping the vampires two rooms over weren't concentrating on him so they couldn't hear him.

"I have to warn you, Jeremy. Mikael is dangerous. I've been watching him and he plans to use Elena as the human, Stefan as the vampire, Rebekah as the original, and Tyler as the hybrid. He's the last remaining one since Klaus died." Anna nearly had tears in her eyes. "He's not going to stop until he hunts down each and every one of you."

"Jeremy?" Elena called. "Are you talking to someone?"

Anna looked around frantically. "The grimoire is located at one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World locations."

Jeremy crinkled his forehead. "You mean like Stonehenge and the Leaning Tower of Pisa?"

"Yes." Her voice started fading. "Warn the others. You must find the book and destroy it."

Jeremy returned to the parlor, only Elena noticing him.

"It doesn't matter now. The only thing that we need to focus on is finding the spell book and destroying it before Mikael beats us to it," Stefan said adamantly.

"I know where it is," Jeremy said.

Damon was in Stefan's face, both brothers squaring off in a struggle for dominance. "Or we can just kill Mikael right now. We can spare our time of searching aimlessly for this book and just cut to the chase. No matter what, we have to kill him."

"I know where to go," Jeremy tried again. This caught a few peoples' attention, but not the two fighting brothers.

"You two are like children," Elijah said. "The boy has an idea." He smiled, pleased that he caught the Salvatores' attention.

"Spill," Damon instructed.

"Asshole," Jeremy muttered before continuing. "Anna was here, and she's been looking after Mikael. She said we have to get to the book before he kills us. He's planning on using Tyler, Rebekah, Stefan, and Elena as the sacrifices." Jeremy looked at Elena who didn't even look phased by this. She had risked her life so much the last year that death didn't affect her. "We have to search the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World."

"There are eleven of us," Alaric said grimly, "And seven places. However, Italy and China have two of the wonders so technically we will just need five groups to go out and search."

"Should we really split up?" Caroline voiced her concern frantically. "I don't like the sound of that."

"It's the best thing to do," Elijah said calmly. "He needs four of us for the sacrifice and as long as we keep the four a part then he'll have an even harder time gathering everyone up."

"So?" Damon asked comically. He finished his drink with fake enthusiasm. "Who has an updated passport?"

* * *

**Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while. I'm really sorry for that. I recently just got a job and I have school work and tests to study for. How cute was the opening scene to season five? I have seriously watched it over and over again! So in celebration to season 5 finally starting, here is the next chapter. Please review!**

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It had been an hour once everyone realized that they would indeed have to split up. There was no one person in charge, but Damon was taking it upon himself to direct the conversation. Someone had to do it and so he would make the hard decisions.

"If Mikael finds out that we're looking for the grimoire behind his back then he's going to kill us and everyone we care about," Caroline said while biting her lip. Her hand was clasped tightly between Tyler's two reassuring hands.

Elena sat across from Caroline, wringing her hands in her lap. She was watching Damon and Alaric whisper harshly to one another by the fireplace. Each man had their own drink and the moment she saw Damon push his finger into Alaric's chest, she knew it was bad. They were arguing about something, but she couldn't understand them. They seemed to be whispering too quietly for any other vampire in the room to be able to hear them also.

"I brought the supplies you requested," Elijah said calmly. He handed Bonnie the five ingredients she needed and she took them hesitantly. She really wasn't looking forward to casting this specific spell, but she knew she had to for the sake of everyone's living parents.

"I have spent over a thousand years wishing to see my mother again, and you guys are all willing to give your parents up just for this grimoire," Rebekah said in her snide voice. She was casually sitting in a big chair, playing with the strands of her hair, looking bored. "I don't understand humans."

"We're doing this to protect them. No one will remember us in town. Our parents will be safe. No one will know that we're actually from Mystic Falls and have been here our whole lives," Caroline snapped back.

Elena blocked out her friends. Bonnie was doing a spell that consisted of erasing their identities. It was to protect Liz Forbes, Carol Lockwood, and Bonnie's dad especially. If those three remaining family members forgot that they even had children and that their children had friends with supernatural powers then they would be safe from Mikael. If the spell worked correctly, Mikael wouldn't even remember the kids had family members to threaten.

Elena concentrated on Jeremy who was sitting at the one place no one was near. He was in the next open room, on the window seat looking into the Salvatore's backyard. He wasn't smiling and Elena could only guess why her brother had picked up such a brooding attitude. He was only a kid; hardly sixteen, and he was traveling the world to look for a spell book in order to defeat this epic vampire hunter who wanted them all dead.

Elena walked over to Jeremy and laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and offered her a small smile. She sat down on what little room there was and bumped him playfully. "How are you holding up?" Elena asked.

Jeremy shrugged. "You know, it's not every day that I get to go to Stonehenge. Alaric, Bonnie, and I should have a good time." Jeremy stared ahead of himself, a blank look on his face. "That is if Mikael doesn't beat us to it and kills us right on the spot."

"Don't think like that," Elena chided. "We have to stay positive or else we won't make it through the next couple of days."

"I don't get it, Elena." Jeremy looked at his sister, an uncertainty in his eye. He needed her strength and courage in that moment. "I don't get how you can be this certain and strong when you just found out Mikael is planning on killing you."

Elena sighed. "Want to know my secret?"

"Please."

"I'm not strong. I'm not confident. I'm not even sure we're all going to live through this whole Mikael ordeal. I just know that if I pretend everything's okay then there's a chance that I'm right."

"So you basically lie to yourself and everyone around you?" Jeremy snorted. "That so doesn't sound like you."

Elena laughed before turning completely serious. The idea of losing Jeremy making tears spring to her eyes. This situation was very real. If Mikael was at any of the locations then he wouldn't hesitate to kill any one of them. She couldn't fathom losing her last family member; especially since it is Jeremy. She's supposed to protect him from this sort of thing, and instead, she's leading him by the hand into open fire.

"I'm so sorry, Jeremy," Elena said. A tear escaped her eye. "You shouldn't be a part of this. I should be protecting you; not risking your life."

"You're doing the best you can under the circumstances." Jeremy spoke with such confidence that it made Elena even more upset.

"I am the worse sister in the world right now."

"Come here," Jeremy pulled Elena into a hug. "Right now, I think you're the best sister. And you're not abandoning me. It's only for a few days that we'll be apart."

When they pulled away from each other Elena wiped at her eyes. She didn't hear talking in the other room which meant everyone was tired of arguing or they were waiting on Jeremy and her.

"Promise me you'll be safe. You won't do anything stupid." Elena gripped Jeremy by the shoulders to make him concentrate.

"I promise. It's me that should be worried. You're going off with _Damon_. You could have at least gone with someone I remotely like." Jeremy teased lightheartedly.

Damon cleared his throat and rolled his eyes as Jeremy glared at him. "I hate to break up your guys' love confession but we have planes to catch."

Jeremy got up and muttered, "Dick," as he passed by Damon. Elena looked up at the blue eyed vampire and shrugged helplessly. "You did kill him so technically he has a right to dislike you."

Damon smirked at Elena. He had heard every single word uttered between the brother and sister. A small part of him wished Stefan and he could have serious talks like that, but their time as close brothers had come abruptly to a halt the moment Katherine turned them. They were starting to get their relationship back but then Klaus came and took Stefan away and now their relationship was on the rocks again.

"That was so last year. That kid needs to move on," Damon teased. He offered Elena his hand and she took it. She was still in her ruined homecoming dress. "Are you going to change or am I going to have to compel even more people to look away?"

"How long do we have before we leave?"

"We have thirty minutes. Stefan and Elijah are leaving now though," Damon said. He raised his eye brow, gauging Elena's reaction. He was terrified that at any moment Elena would realize she was making a mistake and go rushing back into his brother's arms.

When Elena reappeared in the parlor Stefan was hugging Caroline. "And call the moment you guys get there. Tyler and I will be stuck on a plane in _coach_ when you land. I'll be bored out of my mind," she complained in her Caroline fashion.

Stefan let go of her and cracked a smile. No one really knew if they would have time or even service with their cell phones to get a hold of anyone else. Stefan and Elijah were heading to China for the Great Wall of China and the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing in China. Both Salvatore brothers offered to take the two countries with the two locations that needed to be checked.

Elena stood in front of Stefan awkward. "Um…travel safely and be careful," she murmured.

Stefan wrapped his arms around Elena and shut his eyes as he leaned against her. It was as if their conversation didn't happen earlier in the evening. He forgot about yelling at her in his room. He forgot about destroying his room in a fit of anger because she chose Damon. All that mattered was that she was in his arms and he took too much comfort in that fact.

"You be safe too," Stefan whispered. He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck and Elena instantly froze in her spot. Her arms dropped to her sides and she rejected him right away. He pulled away with a guilty expression.

"She'll be safe with me, brother," Damon all but growled.

"I better get going," Stefan said as he walked out.

Elijah turned to Elena. "I never thanked you for risking your life in exchange for Rebekah's and mine." He took Elena's hand in his own and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "Be safe Miss. Gilbert."

Elijah left with Stefan, already saying his goodbye to Rebekah.

"I'm going to go change," Elena said; not wanting to stand in the parlor any longer. It was too tense and awkward. Bonnie was beginning her spell and she didn't need Elena's blood or help and so she wasn't needed. The tone was finally setting in and as Bonnie started her memory spell, everyone had an epiphany that this might be their last battle. Some would live and some would die.

Damon followed Elena silently, ignoring the protective glares from Jeremy and Alaric. He even received an odd look from Matt Donovan.

Elena started to head towards the guest bedroom that was on Damon's side of the house, but he laid a hand on her arm and pulled her towards his room. "Damon?" Elena asked. "I have to get changed. My clothes…"

"Are right here," Damon said, opening his drawer and presenting Elena her own drawer in his dresser.

"I don't understand," she said stupidly with awe.

"It really is a simple concept. I moved my very expensive pajama pants to the upper drawer and then it was empty. I had to fill it with something and since you tend to leave your clothes and belongings everywhere in this house, I figured you deserved your own drawer."

She stepped forward and looked through the drawer. Some of the clothes she didn't even recognize. "Did you buy me clothes too?"

"It made no sense for you to have ten shirts over here and only one pair of jeans. I might have used my unlimited credit card," Damon said lightly.

Elena grabbed a shirt that caught her eye. The fabric was so soft that she didn't think she had felt anything so soft. The only piece of fabric that came this close to being that soft was Damon's clothes. And his clothes were always expensive.

"Damon, this shirt probably cost a lot. I can't accept this." She put it back even though the red fabric kept catching her eye. She also saw a pair of black skinny jeans in the drawer too.

"Sure you can. Just think of it this way: if you don't wear them then I will throw them out and then they really will go to waste." Damon picked up the shirt again and the jeans Elena was eyeing only a minute before.

She turned to him and forced a small smile. Elena took the clothes from him and realized she still needed to change into a different bra, panties, and new shoes. She was certain she didn't leave any undergarments at the boarding house over the summer.

Damon saw the uncertainty in her eyes and he smirked. He took a step closer and could feel the heat radiating off of Elena. She was nervous, anxious, and a little excited all at the same time. "You know," he whispered huskily. Damon's fingers reached out and pushed a stray curl behind her ear. "All you have to do is ask, Elena."

Elena sighed. "I'm not that girl, Damon. I don't accept gifts easily and I don't like it when money is spent on me."

"I know you're not that type of girl, but sometimes you have to let me spoil you. It's in my nature too."

Elena smiled as a small blush coated her cheeks. Damon loved to see her blush, and he thought to himself, didn't Stefan ever cherish Elena like she deserved to be cherished? There was no question about it, the Salvatores have money and Damon was more than willing to spend a little on Elena.

"You didn't let me finish. I was going to say, I don't like when money is spent on me, but I don't really feel like flying for hours and hunting down a spell book in this uncomfortable bra and wet panties. You wouldn't happen to have any spare garments around, would you?"

Damon couldn't help it when his eyes strayed to her chest the moment she mentioned bra and then when she talked about her wet panties…panties that were wet because of him…he felt his member harden slightly. He had to rip his thoughts away from Elena kneeling before him and he walked across his room to another dresser. He opened the first drawer and numerous bras and panties popped up.

Elena glared at Damon but she couldn't help the smile that fell onto her face. "Please tell me you shopped in person when you bought these." She actually laughed as she grabbed a handful of panties in a wide variety. There were thongs, see through underwear, crotch less panties, boy shorts, and even a pair of glow in the dark panties. The bras all matched the underwear too.

"In fact, I did. I had this nice, little woman help me. She was very fond of me," Damon wiggled his eye brows seductively, "If you know what I mean."

"Ugh," Elena scoffed as she hit Damon in the chest. "You're a pig sometimes, you know that?" Elena settled on the most modest set she could find which consisted of a red thong with little black bowties on the sides and a rhinestone in the front with a matching red pushup bra. "Did you really have to get a push up bra?"

Damon didn't answer as Elena laid her clothes out. She reached behind her back to try to unzip herself. She wasn't planning on undressing in front of Damon, but she did need to get the zipper undone before he left or else she would be stuck in that dress.

When she couldn't reach it she looked at him helplessly. "Do you mind?"

"Here," he said softly. They were ironically standing in front of his floor length mirror just like the night they celebrated her birthday at the beginning of the school year. Damon looked at Elena through the mirror. "Not everyone's going to live, you know that, right?"

Elena shut her eyes, the feeling of Damon's hard, sturdy fingers grazing her back making her feel more alive than normal. Elena felt like she shouldn't be feeling that good when everyone was feeling so miserable, but Damon brought out the happiness in her.

"I know," she murmured with her eyes still shut. His fingers worked her zipper. It was hard considering the damage done to the dress.

"You understand that Bonnie might die or Caroline or Matt, right?" Damon really wanted to make sure Elena understood. Their group might not be able to handle Mikael.

"I get it, Damon," Elena snapped.

"But I want you to understand something," he said sternly. Damon placed his hands on her shoulders, catching her eyes and holding her gaze. "No matter what, I will do everything in my power to keep them safe. Do you understand?"

His words were so sincere and strong that Elena couldn't respond verbally. Instead she pressed herself closer and wrapped her arms around Damon. "Thank you," she whispered. She relaxed the moment Damon responded to her hug. He settled his arms around her and held her close. His nose nuzzled into her neck and his lips lightly peppered her skin with soft kisses. At first Damon only laid kisses on her neck, but he traveled upwards and kissed her jaw, her cheeks, and then finally her lips. When their lips fused together Elena was full of energy and lust. Her hands pulled at his hair and pulled him closer to her.

Their bodies were flushed against one another and his tongue claimed her mouth. Her dress fell to the ground the moment Damon's hands slid down her body; leaving her in just her strapless bra and panties.

It was as if fireworks were going off in Elena's body as she molded herself against his taunt body. She could practically feel every muscle in his body and it made her want him even more. He was in such a vulnerable state, allowing himself this moment of happiness with her that Elena wanted to show Damon just how much she wanted to be with him. She didn't just want him physically, but she wanted him emotionally and mentally too. She wanted the good and the bad and she would take him with an open heart. They would start over and they would do things right this time in their relationship.

"Damon," Elena moaned the second his hands claimed her sides and he roughly gripped her tighter. Her leg hitched around his waist for a better angle and he swiftly ran his greedy fingers over her flat stomach and down to her moist center.

It all happened so fast that the moment Elena felt a rush of air she also felt rejection hit her. Damon was nowhere in sight as he rushed out of the room. She crossed her arms over her stomach and held herself together as uncertainty overwhelmed her body. She thought to herself, _did I do something wrong_?

"Damon?" Elena called out, almost with a desperate tone. She tiptoed over to the door, not totally aware of why she was being quiet in the first place. "Damon?" She called again.

As she approached his doorway he was right in front of her again, using his vampire speed to his advantage. "The quarterback was coming. Jeremy, Alaric, and Bonnie are leaving now." Damon cleared his throat, his eyes roaming over her body with a predator look. He caged her in against the wall; dangerously approaching her private space. "You should get changed."

Elena swallowed. "Okay."

Damon left her to change and Elena quickly discarded her dress on the floor along with her other articles of clothing. She slid into the silky garments he bought her and sighed at the feeling. After sliding into the low cut red tank top she looked at herself in the mirror. Sure, the material felt great against her skin but the top was too low for her taste. The black pants fit nice and smug against her body, and she decided to wear black boots that went up her legs and stopped right below her knees.

She looked around for a moment, trying to think of what she could do to rectify the situation. She quickly went to Damon's closet and frowned at his lack of color for clothing. She pulled out one of his black dress shirts and glided it over her torso. It was big and flowed around her chest and waist. Her hands worked quickly and tucked the bottom of the shirt into her pants and only buttoned the shirt halfway up. Elena rolled the sleeves up to her elbows and smiled at herself through the mirror. She was practically dressed in all black and the red tank top peaked out.

Damon and Alaric were in the corner, pretending not to be having a best friend moment. Elena smiled at how close Damon and Alaric had become. She was glad that they had befriended one another because they both tended to push others away. Alaric did that to protect himself and Damon pushed others because he couldn't stand humans from Elena's generations. She had overheard him one summer night complaining to Alaric about how stupid everyone was and naïve.

"And you have to call too," Caroline was scolding Bonnie the moment Elena walked into the parlor. Her eyes were watering and Elena joined the two girls.

"Be safe, Bonnie," Elena mumbled as she and Bonnie hugged one another. "Please stay safe and make sure Ric and Jere don't do anything stupid to get them kicked out of the country. You guys can't compel anyone."

Bonnie laughed softly. "I promise."

Elena let Caroline keep lecturing Bonnie as she moved over to Jeremy who was standing with his hands in his pockets near Matt and Rebekah. Elena looked at Jeremy and smiled gently.

"Be safe," she murmured before she hugged him. "I'm sorry you have to do this. You've lost so many people already."

"I still have you," Jeremy responded. "I'm not going to lose you again. Watching you wake up from the dead was bad enough. You can't go through another ritual."

This brought tears to Elena's eyes. "God," she groaned, "I feel like I cry all the time now."

"That's okay," Jeremy spoke with a teasing smile. They pulled away from one another and he ruffled her hair like a big brother would do to a younger sister; even though she was the eldest. "You're a girl. You guys cry all the time."

Elena punched him jokingly and he rubbed his arm as if she actually hurt him. "You just had to ruin our moment."

Jeremy shrugged. "It was getting to mushy for me."

Elena watched as Alaric, Bonnie, and Jeremy grabbed their small bags and headed for the door. Alaric stopped in front of Elena with a solemn smile. "I know you're worrying right now, but I'll keep him safe and unharmed. I promise."

Elena nearly knocked Alaric over as she flung her arms around him. He was like a second dad to her now and she wouldn't have chosen differently. "You're the only person I trust Jeremy with, Ric. You have to keep him safe."

"Because I can't hear you right now," Damon muttered sarcastically. "It's not as if you don't know anyone who has vampire strength and speed to keep Jeremy alive."

Elena glared at Damon mockingly. "That's exactly why I trust Ric with Jeremy." She pulled back and they both grinned at each other. They both loved teasing Damon. "But seriously, Ric, you're the one person who will keep him as safe as possible. I trust you."

Elena trusted Damon's words from earlier in his bedroom. He would do anything for the people she cared about. But if he had to make a choice between her and Jeremy, Elena knew that Damon would always choose her. He made that clear when they were fighting Klaus before the ritual.

"And I already gave Damon a lecture about keeping you out of harms way. You are not going through another ritual." Alaric patted Elena on the shoulder in parting. "We'll be back before you know it. You won't even miss us."

Elena watched as they drove off in Alaric's car and frowned when she saw Damon putting hers and his bags in his car. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"It's time for us to go too. The other four have another three hours before their planes leave." Damon didn't say goodbye to Matt, Rebekah, Caroline, or Tyler. He just waited for Elena in the car. "Make it quick," he warned.

Elena rolled her eyes.

"Please tell me why you're dating that dick again?" Matt asked.

"We're not dating," Elena said right away. But uncertainty overtook her as she thought about the recent night, day, and summer. They had spent a lot of time together, they had kissed more than once, and it was obvious to everyone that Damon was in love with her. Could she actually date, Damon? Yes, she could, but just because he is in love with her doesn't mean he actually wanted to be her boyfriend.

Caroline snorted as she hugged Elena. "I can practically smell sex on you and you're wearing his shirt. You _so_ are dating."

Elena said her goodbyes and joined Damon outside near his car. She was surprised to see him leaning against the passenger side and when she got closer he opened the door for her. She smiled and blushed slightly despite the situation. "Thanks," she said.

Damon smirked, knowing just how he affected her. He started the car up, backed out of the driveway with ease, and sped off towards the closest airport that had a direct flight to New York and then from New York they would fly right into Italy, first class the whole way.

"How long until the first airport?" Elena asked.

"Four hours. Consider this another one of our mini road trips," Damon's hand was settled near the center console and Elena glanced down. She didn't picture Damon as the type of guy to hold hands; even if he was actually dating someone. She actually couldn't picture Damon dating anyone exclusively either. She knew what Katherine did in the past mentally screwed with his mind and Elena wasn't certain he actually knew how to be in a functioning relationship.

Tentatively, she reached towards his pale hand and laced their fingers together. Elena noticed Damon's blue eyes glance down at their joined limbs, and she smiled gleefully when he didn't pull away. Instead, his fingers tightened and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"By the way," Damon kept his eyes on the road, but his signature smirk crossed his face, "You look amazing in my shirt."

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**Review and let me know what you think of this filler chapter please!**


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